It`s all hands on deck for SA`s digital future

Source: ITWeb, 10/11/2018

We are all familiar with the hyperbole of technology: digital can
change the world for the better by making it faster, smarter and more
connected. The sentiment is true, but digital technology is not a
genie ready to pop out of the lamp and grant our wishes. For all the
good that it can do, digital actually does nothing, just as a hammer
doesn`t actually drive the nails in. It still needs that person adding
the energy to get things done.
This is the purpose of SITA, explains its CEO Setumo Mohapi. The State
Information Technology Agency is meant to stand at the frontier of new
possibilities in the country, wielding technology and helping others
make sense of these new opportunities: `We are not a procurement agent
business. We don`t manage procurement actions. We did procurement as a
way of enforcing certain standards, uniformity and interoperability in
government infrastructure.`
Yet, while this is still a part of SITA`s purpose, its mandate is made
abundantly clear in the act that established the agency: improve
service delivery to the public. This is a clear benchmark to follow,
one which Mohapi has plenty of examples for: `Look at education. How
many students finish that 12-year journey? That`s an easy metric to
follow. Now, what might be the problems around that? Can we help
teachers do their jobs better? Can we address transport for children
in rural areas with an Uber-style model? We can personalise it: in
your own world, has government improved service delivery for the
things you care about in the past 10 years?`
Catalyst for change
This is the call to action Mohapi puts to his own staff, backed by
catalytic initiatives such as hackathons and the establishment of an
e-government department. The agency has also shifted gears away from
procurement and towards creating orchestration layers that other parts
of the state can use. Part of this includes a government cloud as well
as engagement with private sector platforms. The arrival of local
Azure data centres has everything to do with SITA`s commitment to
using those services.
Things at SITA are changing, but it`s not enough. To realise the
potential of the digital era, everyone should be included. This
extends both to the rest of government as well as the private sector.
But this is not talking of partnerships, it runs a lot deeper. It`s
about establishing an ethos that everyone can share in: `My job is to
make your life better, to make sure you get to be a success. I use
technology, the thing I love, to make it happen. That`s the
fundamental job at SITA, to continuously improve the nature of public
services. That includes creating assets that everyone can use. Look at
data. Data can create a public/private interface that can be much
richer, so the private sector can react so much better to government
problems. We can help lead how to package and share such data.`
It`s a blueprint clearly in full force for the upcoming NDP Hackathon.
Due to happen in November, the build-up to this event is being
measured by numerous engagements with government and private
companies, including mentorship as well as opportunities for small
technology resellers to expand into the exciting world of software
development. In a way SITA is the platform for change through digital,
providing the tools and collaboration opportunities between the many
different parties who can make a difference.
A new relationship
This is the embodiment of the kind of technology-centric vision that
South Africa needs more of. But, in a world where change is the norm,
those who remain static will be left behind. That includes the
technology providers that sell equipment to the government. To those,
Mohapi cautions: `We also need a different relationship with OEMs. A
static world is about extracting value out of the things they have
been providing, so they increase maintenance costs. But, from my view,
I get the same value with added inflationary costs. We need a
different relationship with them. If they can add value, they can gain
value from SITA. SITA is going to groom companies and work with those
that create value all the time.`
The old SITA is fading with the past. Replacing it is a dynamic agency
that lives the values of the digital era: collaboration,
problem-solving and always on the hunt for better ideas. The NDP
Hackathon, open to companies, government departments and people across
South Africa, takes the step of opening that vision beyond SITA`s doors